Tire-bead reenforcing element



.bhe-24,1930. R. c. mERc-E 1,767,772

VTIRE BEAD REENFORCING ELEMENT Filed March 13. 192@- il,... p f,

l. Patented June 24, 1.930l

UNITED STATES 'PATENT caricia ROBERT c. PIERCE, or Nuns, iuicHIeAN,l AssIGNon-ro irATIoNAL rANY, A coaronATIoN or. MICHIGAN f srNnAnn com- TIRE-BEAD REENFORCING ELEMENT Apliemon med March 13, 1929; serial` No. 346,642.

Y so constructed that in the forming of a bead,

the reenforcing element will become embedded in and interlocked with the rubber compound of which the bead is made, thus forming practically a unitary structure.

In drum built tires, the bead has a tendency to turn when the tire is moved from the drum and expanded. My improved reenforcing element is so made that the individual tension members thereof are permitted a certain amount of relative movement with respect to each other, thus permitting the necessary adjustment of the ele- 'ment in the bead as the bead is turned when the tire is removed from the drum, without loosening the element in the bead;

Other features and advantages of my invention will appear more fully as I proceed with my s ecication.

In that orm of device embodying the features of my invention shown in the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a tire with a bead in which is the improved reenforcing element;

Figs. 2 and 3 are views in perspective of portions of the elements;

Figs. 4 and 5 are sectional views taken as indicated by the lines 4 and 5 of'Fig'. 3;

Fig. 6 isa sectional view cfa bead of a tire showin my improved reenforcing element embe ded'therein; and

Fi 7 is a sectional view of the reenforcini e ement showing the same embedded in ru ber compound.

As shown in the drawings,'1 indicates a conventional tire casing provided with the usual bead 2, which is formed of a suitable rubberl composition, the bead being of .a cross-section correspondin which it is desired to use t e same.. y

I-'shall now describe the reenforcement or reenforcing element. Thisincludes a plu.- rality of tension members here-shown, for example, as three'initially separate Wires 3, 4 and 5. The tension members are held together by a thin iexible retaining strand 11 separate from these members ands irally wound about them. The strand 11, ihr example, maybe of thin wire. The three tension members 3, 4 and 5 are held in substantially parallel adjacent relationship; but it is to be particularly noted that relative,

movementV between the tension members 3, 4' and 5 is permitted inside of the retaining strand l1. I have attempted to indicate this possible twistin of relative positions of the tension memers by the sectionalv views 4 and 5 of Fig. 3, showing that the vthree wires 3, 4 and 5 are not always exactly parallel as shown in Fig. 2 throughout the length of the element, but are permitted to roll or shift, one above the other so that their relative positions in different sections of the element will be different. This shifting of the tension members, or relative movement between the same which is permitted inside of the retaining strand 1l, prevents the element from becoming unduly loosened in the bead as' the bead is turned or rolled in different places during the formation or building up of the tire.

In using the element in the tire, the same' is convolutively disposed in the tire bead, and thus without the ends connected, as many turns as desired being formed. In making my bead, for example, there may be three' wraps or convolutions of the element as shown in the drawings. if desired, these wraps lmay be made on the mandrel or form or drum as the bead is being made up, or the element may be so disposed apart from. the bead and formed into a completed annulus which is inserted in the bead as the same is formed. l

If desired, the element before being put into the tire bead may be impregnated or i,

to the tire .in

coated with a suitable rubber compound 12 as shown in Fig. 7.

While I have shown and described certain embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that .it 1s capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction Aand arrangement may bes'made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed in the appended claim, in which it is my intention to claim all novelty inherent in my invention as broadly as possible in view of the prior art.

A tire bead reinforcing element comprisin a plurality of initially separate and su tantially arallel tension strands, a retaining stran se arate from the rst mentioned strands an wound spirally about the same, said element with .its ends unconnected being adapted for winding in a tire bead, whereb Vmaximum relative movement between t e tension strands is permitted inside of the retaining strand to prevent the element from becoming unduly loosened in the bead as `the latter is turned in different places during the building of a tire.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 28th da of Februar 1929.

ROB RT C. PIE CE. 

